Portugal elected a moderate Socialist, António José Seguro, as president on Sunday in a second-round vote that delivered a clear win over the far-right Chega leader André Ventura, according to exit polls and partial official results.
With nearly 70 per cent of ballots counted, Seguro, 63, was on 64 per cent and Ventura on 36 per cent. Two exit polls projected a wider final margin, placing Seguro between 67 and 73 per cent and Ventura between 27 and 33 per cent. Counting in the largest urban centres, including Lisbon and Porto, typically comes later in the night.
The result gives Seguro a five-year term in a post that is largely ceremonial but carries important constitutional powers. The president can veto legislation and, in defined circumstances, dissolve parliament and trigger a snap election. Those levers have historically made the presidency a stabilising office during periods of minority government and parliamentary fragmentation.
Sunday’s runoff took place after a first round on January 18 in which no candidate reached the 50 per cent threshold required to win outright. Reuters described the contest as the first presidential runoff in four decades, reflecting a more fragmented political landscape after a succession of national ballots since 2024. In that first round, Seguro led with just over 31 per cent and Ventura followed on 23.5 per cent.
Seguro ran as what he called a “modern and moderate” figure of the left, presenting himself as a mediator who could prevent political crises and defend democratic norms. His campaign sought to appeal beyond the Socialist base, and he received endorsements from prominent conservatives after the first round, as mainstream figures coalesced behind him to block Ventura from the presidency.
The backing from parts of the centre-right was one of the decisive features of the runoff. Portugal’s governing alliance is centre-right and governs without a parliamentary majority. In that context, the presidency’s ability to intervene at moments of deadlock has become a central theme in national politics, even if day-to-day executive power rests with the government and parliament rather than the head of state.
Ventura, 43, is a former television sports commentator and lawyer who founded and leads Chega, a party that has built support through anti-establishment rhetoric and a hard line on immigration. During the campaign he argued for a more “interventionist” presidency and said the head of state should have increased powers, including through constitutional change.
Although he lost, Ventura’s share of the vote is higher than Chega’s result in the most recent general election, when the party took 22.8 per cent. Reuters noted that, in last year’s parliamentary vote, Chega became the second-largest force in the legislature, overtaking the Socialists and ranking behind the centre-right ruling alliance, which won 31.2 per cent. Ventura’s performance in the presidential contest therefore adds to his political profile even without winning the office.
The runoff was held amid severe weather. A succession of storms and flooding in recent days did not reduce participation, with turnout reported to be about the same as in the first round, despite disruptions in parts of the country. Three municipal councils in southern and central Portugal postponed voting by a week because of floods. The postponement affected about 37,000 registered voters — roughly 0.3 per cent of the electorate — and officials and analysts said it was unlikely to change the overall outcome.
The election also marks a change at the top of the state. The winner is set to succeed Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who has completed the maximum two presidential terms. The president’s constitutional role includes representing the state, appointing the prime minister after elections, and acting as a political referee at moments of institutional tension.
In practical terms, Seguro’s mandate is expected to be tested by the country’s parliamentary arithmetic. Portugal has seen repeated elections in recent years and shifting alliances in the assembly. During the campaign, Seguro argued that the president should provide predictability and facilitate dialogue between parties, while Ventura said the office should take a more forceful stance against what he described as entrenched interests.
As counting continued on Sunday evening, the scale of Seguro’s lead suggested that the runoff delivered a decisive verdict, even as the size of Ventura’s vote underlined Chega’s capacity to mobilise support beyond a standard parliamentary contest.
